1 / 32

Chapter 8

Chapter 8. Same-Sex Couples and Families. Chapter 8: Same-Sex Couples and Families Chapter Outline. Introduction Identifying and Classifying Sexual Orientation Heterosexism, Homonegativity, Homophobia, and Biphobia Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Mixed-Orientation Relationships

chandler-torres
Download Presentation

Chapter 8

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Chapter 8 Same-Sex Couples and Families

  2. Chapter 8: Same-Sex Couples and FamiliesChapter Outline • Introduction • Identifying and Classifying Sexual Orientation • Heterosexism, Homonegativity, Homophobia, and Biphobia • Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Mixed-Orientation Relationships • Relationships of Bisexuals • Coming Out to a Partner and Same-Sex Marriage • The Future of Same-Sex Relationships

  3. Chapter 8: Same-Sex Couples and FamiliesIntroduction • Quote: “If homosexuality is a disease, let’s all call in queer to work: ‘Hello. Can’t work today, still queer.’” • Discussion: What are some of the problems that same-sex couples experience in contemporary U.S. society? Will some of these improve or get worse in the future?

  4. Chapter 8: Same-Sex Couples and FamiliesIntroduction • True or False: • Homosexuals are more likely to keep a secret from a romantic partner than heterosexuals. • Children reared in lesbian families are more likely to feel that they are gay than children reared in heterosexual families. • Homosexuals are far more likely than any other minority group in the United States to be victimized by violent hate crime.

  5. Chapter 8: Same-Sex Couples and FamiliesIntroduction • True or False Answers: • True (pg. 227) – Because gays are used to keeping their identities secret, research suggests that it has an effect on their interpersonal relationships. Brackett et al. (2010) found that gays were more likely to keep a secret from romantic partners than straights. • False • True

  6. Same-Sex Couples and Families • In this chapter, we discuss same-sex couple and family relationships, that are, in many ways similar to heterosexual ones. • Sexual Orientation: classification of individuals as heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual, based on their emotional, cognitive, sexual attractions and self-identity (Sexual Identity is a term used here as well.) • Heterosexuality • Homosexuality • Bisexuality • Lesbian • Gay • Queer Theory • LGBT, GLBT, LGBITQ, or GLBITQ

  7. Identifying and Classifying Sexual Orientation • The classification of individuals into orientation categories is problematic for a number of reasons: • Social stigma is associated with non-heterosexual identities. • Not all people who are sexually attracted or have had sexual relations with individuals of the same-sex view themselves as homosexual or bisexual. • Sexual-orientation classification is complicated by the fact that sexual behavior, attraction, love, desire, and sexual-orientation identity do not always match.

  8. Identifying and Classifying Sexual Orientation • Prevalence of Homosexuality, Heterosexuality, and Bisexuality • Despite the difficulties inherent in categorizing individuals’ sexual orientation, considerable data reveal the prevalence of individuals in the United States who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. • Prevalence of Same-Sex Couples/Households • In 2009, there were 565,000 unmarried same-sex couple households.

  9. Identifying and Classifying Sexual OrientationGay Male Singlehood • Approximately 50% of gay men describe themselves as single (i.e., without a committed relationship). • Many (one-fifth) of gay men who participated in a study indicated that they chose to remain single. Reasons include: • Personal Past • Collective Past • Previous Relationship • Particular Tastes • Still Searching • Loner

  10. Origins of Sexual-Orientation Diversity • Much of the biomedical and psychological research on sexual orientation attempts to identify one or more “causes” of sexual-orientation diversity. • What are the beliefs about what “causes” homosexuality? • Can homosexuals change Their sexual orientation?

  11. Heterosexism, Homonegativity, Homophobia, and Biphobia • Heterosexism refers to “the institutional and social reinforcement of heterosexuality as the privileged and powerful norm.” • “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” Military Policy

  12. Heterosexism, Homonegativity, Homophobia, and BiphobiaAttitudes toward Homosexuality, Homonegativity, and Homophobia • Adolfsen et al. (2010) noted that there are multiple dimensions of attitudes about homosexuality and identified five: • General Attitude • Equal Rights • Close Quarters • Public Display • Modern Homonegativity • Homophobia is negative attitudes and emotions toward homosexuality and those who engage in homosexual behavior. • Homonegativity is attaching negative connotations to homosexuality.

  13. Heterosexism, Homonegativity, Homophobia, and BiphobiaAttitudes toward Homosexuality, Homonegativity, and Homophobia • Internalized homophobia is a sense of personal failure and self-hatred among lesbians and gay men resulting from social rejection and stigmatization of being gay. • Has been linked to increased risk of depression, substance abuse and addiction, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts • Biphobia (also referred to as binegativity) refers to a parallel set of negative attitudes toward bisexuality and those identified as bisexual.

  14. Heterosexism, Homonegativity, Homophobia, and BiphobiaEffects of Antigay Bias and Discrimination on Heterosexuals • The anti-gay and heterosexist social climate of our society is often viewed in terms of how it victimizes the gay population. • Heterosexual Victims of Hate Crimes • Concern, fear, and grief over well-being of gay or lesbian family members and friends • Restriction of intimacy and self-expression • Dysfunctional sexual behavior • School shootings • Loss of rights for individuals in unmarried relationships

  15. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Mixed-Orientation Relationships • Relationship Satisfaction • Monogamy and Sexuality • Monogamous Gay Male Sex (with casual sex on the side)

  16. Relationships of Bisexuals • Individuals who identify as bisexual have the ability to form intimate relationships with both sexes. • Division of Labor • Mixed-Orientation Relationships • Lifetime Sexual Abuse

  17. Coming Out to a Partner and Same-Sex Marriage • Food for thought… • Discussion: What are the risks and benefits of “coming out?”

  18. Coming Out to a Partner and Same-Sex Marriage • “Coming Out” refers to being open about one’s sexual orientation and identity. • Ex.: coming out to a partner (of the opposite sex)

  19. Coming Out to a Partner and Same-Sex Marriage

  20. Coming Out to a Partner and Same-Sex MarriageSame-Sex Marriage • As of 2010, six states and the District of Columbia now offer civil marriage licenses to same-sex couples (Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine). • Antigay Marriage Legislation • Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)

  21. Coming Out to a Partner and Same-Sex MarriageArguments for Same-Sex Marriage • Advocates of same-sex marriage argue that banning or refusing to recognize same-sex marriages granted in other states is a violation of civil rights that denies same-sex couples the many legal and financial benefits that are granted to heterosexual married couples. Rights and benefits that married spouses have include the following: • The right to inherit from a spouse who dies without a will • No inheritance taxes between spouses • The right to make crucial medical decisions for a partner and to take care of a seriously ill partner or parent of a partner under current provisions in the federal Family and Medical Leave Act • Social Security survivor benefits • Health insurance coverage under a spouse’s insurance plan

  22. Coming Out to a Partner and Same-Sex MarriageArguments Against Same-Sex Marriage • Opponents commonly argue that such marriages would subvert the stability and integrity of the heterosexual family. • Many opponents base their opposition on religious belief. • Many point to public opinion polls that are negative.

  23. State Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Couples • There is no federal recognition of same-sex couples in the United States. However, a number of U.S. states allow same-sex couples legal status that entitles them to many of the same rights and responsibilities as married couples.

  24. GLBT Parenting Issues • Of the more than 600,000 same-sex couple households in the 2000 census, 162,000 had one or more children living in the household. This is thought to be a low estimate. • Gay Families – Lesbian Mothers and Gay Fathers • Developmental and Well-Being of Children with Gay or Lesbian Parents

  25. GLBT Parenting Issues • Discrimination in Child Custody, Visitation, Adoption, and Foster Care • Second-parent adoption is a legal procedure that allows individuals to adopt their partner’s biological or adoptive child without terminating the first parent’s legal status as parent. • Benefits of Second-Parent Adoption for Children • Placing Legal Responsibility on the Parent • Allowing the Child to Live with the Legal Parent • Enabling the Child to Inherit and Receive Social Security Benefits • Enabling the Child to Receive Health Insurance Benefits • Giving the Legal Parent Standing to Petition for Custody or Visitation

  26. The Future of Same-Sex Relationships • Moral acceptance and social tolerance/acceptance of gays and lesbians as individuals, spouses, and parents will come slowly. • Homonegativity is entrenched in American society. However, as more states recognize the legitimacy of same-sex marriage, acceptance will increase.

  27. Quick Quiz • The classification of individuals into sexual orientation categories is problematic because: • of social stigma associated with non-heterosexual identities • not all people who are sexually attracted to the same sex identify as homosexual • not all people who have had sexual experiences with the same sex identify as homosexual • All of the above

  28. Quick Quiz • Most gay men think that homosexuality is: • caused by a bad relationship with a man’s father • caused by being too close to a man’s mother • an inherited, inborn trait • a learned behavior

  29. Quick Quiz • The military policy and guideline concerning gays and lesbians in the military, from 1993 until recently when appealed by Obama, was referred to as: • “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) • “Defense of the Military Act” (DOMA) • “Anti-Homosexual Military Act” (AHMA) • None of the above

  30. Quick Quiz • The negative attitude and emotions toward homosexuality and those who engage in homosexual behavior is commonly referred to as: • homosexism • homophobia • anti-homoistic • hyper-heteroistic • all of the above

  31. Quick Quiz • Which one of the following is considered a risk of “coming out” to friends or loved ones? • Negative parental reaction • Fear of harassment • Discrimination • Hate crime victimization • All of the above

More Related